Scroll machines in general and particularly scroll compressors are generally provided with a hermetic shell which defines a chamber within which is disposed a working fluid. A partition within the shell divides the chamber into a discharge pressure zone and a suction pressure zone. A scroll assembly is located within the suction pressure zone for compressing the working fluid. Generally, these scroll assemblies incorporate a pair of intermeshed spiral wraps, one of which is caused to orbit relative to the other so as to define one or more moving chambers which progressively decrease in size as they travel from an outer suction port towards a center discharge port. An electric motor is normally provided which operates to drive the orbiting scroll wrap via a suitable drive shaft.
The partition within the shell must allow compressed fluid exiting the center discharge port of the scroll assembly to enter the discharge pressure zone within the shell while simultaneously maintaining the integrity between the discharge pressure zone and the suction pressure zone. This function of the partition is normally accomplished by a seal which interacts with the partition and with the scroll member defining the center discharge port.
The discharge pressure zone of the hermetic shell can also function as a muffler chamber and is normally provided with a discharge fluid port which communicates with a refrigeration circuit or some other type of fluid circuit. The opposite end of the fluid circuit is connected with the suction pressure zone of the hermetic shell using a suction fluid port extending through the shell into the suction pressure zone. Thus the scroll machine receives the working fluid from the suction pressure zone of the hermetic shell, compresses this working fluid in the one or more moving chambers defined by the scroll assembly and discharges the compressed working fluid into the discharge pressure zone of the compressor. The compressed working fluid is directed through the discharge port to the fluid circuit and returns to the suction pressure zone of the hermetic shell through the suction port.
Various methods and devices have been developed which function to reduce or eliminate any noise, or the like, generated by the operation of the scroll machine. When the scroll machine is used as a compressor in both refrigeration as well as air conditioning and heat pump applications, it is particularly advantageous to maintain the lowest operational noise level as possible. Accordingly, the continued development of scroll machines and their fluid systems has been directed to reducing the operational noise levels of the machines while still maintaining the extremely efficient operation for which scroll machines are well known.
The present invention provides the art with a muffler assembly which is located between the center discharge port of the scroll assembly and the discharge pressure zone of the hermetic shell. The muffler assembly significantly reduces the operational noise created by the scroll machine without significantly affecting the flow of the working fluid between the canter discharge port of the scroll assembly and the discharge pressure zone of the hermetic shell.
Other advantages and objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the subsequent detailed description, appended claims and drawings.